My newest story, and sequel to We're Done But It's Not Over. Enjoy!
Chapter One
The road was a blank canvas as the cars and trucks ran along it, leaving streaks of polluted gray like brushstrokes. The trees lining the road became dense and closed in around her. But as the vegetation got greener and fuller, the air seemed to clear and become a baby-soft breeze.
The day was only just awakening from its dark, star twinkling sleep and the sky was brightening with sunlight. The light streaked through the forest canopy like a rainbow and cut through the car window and into Mitchie's eyes. It felt as if she were slowly rolling into a familiar jungle of deer and maple trees and the sweet scent of lavender bushes. The car was rocking back and forth down the golden dusty road like a canoe in the sparkling lake.
Mitchie's mind was sparked with distant memories that had become quite hazy after a year of school, holidays, and an aching desire to get back to Camp Rock. She remembered the lies, the betrayal, and the forgiveness.
She remembered Shane.
His dark hair that even shine in the dark, his crooked smile, the sweet kisses. She missed it all but she just plain missed him. She wanted his overcastting shadow behind her and his voice echoing in her ear. The way his hands mingled with hers and the electric touch.
Leather and cologne- that smell she tried to breathe in when it was nowhere around her but she still imagined it in her mind. But something attacked her heart like a knife that slipped out of her hand. Did Shane think that same about her?
Did he even want her still?
Her abrasive thoughts were interrupted by her mother who began talking from the passenger seat of the car, "So you're sure you'll be okay?"
"Mom, I'll be fine. I worked hard enough for this," Mitchie replied with her head leaning against the window, staring at the new and old features of the camp. She sighed in excitement of finally being on her own this summer, all because of her hard labor.
Well sort of.
It took a year of assisting her mom with catering, babysitting her annoying cousins, and teaching guitar classes at the local music shop until she finally scavenged up enough money for a summer at Camp Rock. She was pretty proud of herself though. She did this for herself, and that's one out of very few times that she's been able to do that.
Her dad drove the car down the driveway and then into the drop off. It was next to the stage that Connect 3 had performed on and where everything begins and ends at Camp Rock. And sure enough, Dee La Duke and Brown were overlooking and being very enthusiastic about the new summer.
Mr. Torres parked the car and it drummed into a low hum of gas gurgling and steaming heat. The unlocking of doors and clicking of seat belts vibrated through the mountains and valleys as Mitchie quickly jumped out of the car and into the fresh air. She breathed in the woodsy smell and squinted through the bright sun that was flashing at her eyes. Her dad walked to the trunk of the car and pulled out Mitchie's bags.
Two bags.
Not one, but two.
Let's see what Tess has to say about that.
Mitchie took a hold of her bags in each hand and looked at her parents who seemed extremely unwilling to let her go and Mitchie tried to reassure them, "I'll be fine. I'll write every week, old school style, just don't worry about me."
Connie Torres responded, "It's just that-"
"I'm sixteen, I can handle myself, make my own decisions, survive on my own," Mitchie pleaded.
"That's exactly what we're worried about!" she replied but her face turned into, well, a more 'motherly' expression, "Honey, we just don't want you to do something well.."
"Bad. Regretful," Mr. Torres eagerly decided to add to the conversation.
"Dad!" Mitchie exclaimed with a sarcastic twinkle in her eyes.
"Alright," he said and brought her in for a hug, "Just be careful, okay? We'll talk to you soon."
He placed a quick kiss on her forehead and she hugged her mom tightly. She waved them off and before she could look again, they were driving away and leaving her behind. She felt a sort of lonely, but then a wave of teenage freedom came over he and she felt excited and ready for summer.
Suddenly she was nearly tackled down to the ground, "Mitchie!"
Mitchie closed her eyes and shielded herself from whatever was unexpectedly coming headstrong at her. She was grabbed into a big hug and after a moment of realization, she opened her eyes and saw Caitlyn's smiling face.
Mitchie returned the hug and laughed, "God Caitlyn, you almost knocked me out with your laptop."
"Sorry about that," Caitlyn laughed, "But I haven't seen you in forever!"
"Yeah, it definitely does seem like that," Mitchie agreed as she brushed herself off.
"How's life been?" Caitlyn asked bluntly while they picked up their bags and walked toward the stage where Dee and Brown were welcoming them forward.
"Life? Well, my life has been anything but exciting. I'm just glad were all back," Mitchie said. The two walked to the front and set their bags down. Mitchie looked around and saw that mostly everything was the same. The cabins were still sitting atop the hills, the lake was rippling with small waves, and the sound of music was still in the air.
Dee's high pitched voice broke through the chatter and greetings of old and new campers, "Hey everybody!"
Cheers and waves were returned but she didn't seem very happy with that response. She sighed into the microphone with her hands on her hips, "Now ya'll should know better."
The older campers who knew her antics turned into a chorus of singing voices and the others soon caught on, "High Dee."
"Much better!" she chuckled, "Now the cabins are clean, the instruments are tuned, and Camp Rock is ready to rock another summer! Are you kids ready?"
"Yeah!" Everyone shouted, but a girl raised her hand and asked, "Will there be any… rockstar counselors?"
Well of course she couldn't have made that anymore obvious that it was about Connect 3, or more specifically- Shane, after her and her friend giggled and whispered like the bratty teenies that they were. Dee's face fell from her usual over-excited expression and she peered back to Brown who was staring blankly at the open crowd.
She cleared her throat and began cautiously, "Well. It seems as though that is a bit uncertain at the moment. But be certain that you will be instructed by the most talented and experienced ones out there!" She laughed and smiled wearily and Mitchie frowned.
"What's going on?" Mitchie turned to Caitlyn and asked her.
"I don't know," Caitlyn said confused.
For this entire time, Mitchie was expecting Shane to come up from behind her, wrap his strong arms around her waist, and surprise her. But nobody was behind her except open air and it was very uncomforting. She felt broken and scared, but really didn't know what to feel until she got the truth.
Dee and Brown left the stage with out another word and everyone began to disperse to their designated cabins. Caitlyn and Mitchie walked together to the cabin that they "assumed" they would be sharing alone, or at least with more pleasant girls than the ones they soon found out they were stuck with.
They ran up the steps and swung open the cabin's screen door, chatting about the school year, but immediately stopped in their tracks. The fruity fragrance, the pink bedspreads, the popstar posters all over the wall, it was all so chic.
"Tess," Caitlyn hissed. And Mitchie smacked her forehead in utter disbelief.
Sure enough, Tess appeared from the bathroom while reapplying lip gloss and when her eyes landed upon them, she looked disgusted. "What are you two doing here?"
"This is our cabin," Mitchie said strongly and with a hint of anger.
"No," Tess said satisfied while she plopped onto her sheer bed, "It's mine."
But then she thought for a moment and continued, "Actually it's ours. We have to share. Unfortunately. But I figured it'd be a great opportunity to fix things, and start over." Tess said with way too much exuberance and a slightly fake grin.
Mitchie huffed and walked forward with Caitlyn beside her. Half the cabin was decorated with TJ Tyler posters, like usual, and stickers were everywhere. It was like a six year old Hannah Montana fan invaded the premises. Mitchie looked at Tess with a piercing stare of doubt. She knew Tess too well.
"I saved those beds over there for you guys," Tess pointed her hot pink polished finger to the other side of the cabin that was, surprisingly, not exploded with sparkles and glamour. "It's by the window so you get a nice breeze," she added sweetly.
Caitlyn looked at Tess weirdly and walked over to the beds, "Um thanks, Tess."
"I guess," Mitchie muttered under her breathe as she examined the collection of dead bugs and dust on the window sill right next to her pillow that would surely cause a nuisance- something that Tess was well aware of.
Tess disappeared out the door and Peggy and Ella conveniently popped in. "Oh hey guys," they said with a look of surprise on their faces, "We didn't know you're in our cabin."
"Neither did we," Caitlyn said sarcastically while she began to open her bag and unpack and Mitchie began to do the same.
Ella and Peggy walked over and Mitchie asked outwardly, "What's up with Tess?"
"What, how she's all nice all of a sudden?" Peggy said with just as much sarcasm as Caitlyn, "She apparently went through some major social breakthrough ever since she was so mortified. But don't fall for it completely; you of all people should know how she twists things.
Mitchie nodded and remembered what had happened during Final Jam, "Wait are you guys friends with her still?"
"She tried to prove herself worthy of us as friends," Peggy began, but an excited Ella clapped, "She brought us to China!"
"China?" Mitchie asked and rolled her eyes. She didn't want to hear another word about China or Hot Tunes or anything of that sort after what it caused her last year.
"I mean it was really nice and we openly forgave her. So I guess everything is okay between the three of us at the moment," Peggy said as she walked over to her bed and pulled out her guitar and strummed along to something original.
Ella stayed by Mitchie and Caitlyn and watched them take out all their clothes and pointed out to what ones she liked, but luckily kept the many dislikes to her own personal mind. Caitlyn eyed her awkwardly but smiled, "Ella, I really like your shirt."
"Thank you!" she exclaimed, "I got it at a boutique in China called Jin Jia Ji."
Mitchie's jaw dropped. That was the exact same boutique name she made up to impress Tess. She never imagined it actually was real, "There's such a thing?"
"Of course!" Ella laughed and walked away.
Mitchie sighed and sunk onto her bed, "Where is Shane?"
"Shane?" Tess' voice was suddenly heard as she randomly walked back in. Kind of spooky, it was like she had ears all over the place.
"Yeah," Mitchie began, "I thought he'd be here by now."
"Nobody knows," Tess smirked wryly, "But something's going on with Shane, Brown, and Camp Rock. And nobody has said a word about it."
Tess enjoyed the startled look on Mitchie's face and peered down at her two bags on her bed, "I see we're improving. I'm proud of you, Mitchie."
So what'd you think about Tess' small change in attitude and the slight mystery going on? REVIEW!